Victoria Routes

James Bay; The Bridge

Greater Victoria occupies the southern tip of Vancouver Island, and the Saanich Peninsula. James Bay is the south end of Victoria, on a small peninsula between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Inner Harbour.

There is 5 k. loop around James Bay on Belleville along the Harbour on the north, the streets at the west end, Dallas on the south, and Douglas on the east. There is longer loop around Beacon Hill Park by Cook Street, and some loops in the park. These are usually safe in the evening but the traffic on Sundays is heavy between tourists, families with children, people walking dogs, and people taking elderly parents out (any of which can makes for a wide party of inattentive persons blocking the path).

Starting in James Bay, there is a cycling-friendly route north along Menzies or Government to the Legislature, and along Government and Wharf along the Inner Harbour and the Johnson Street Bridge (the iconic Blue Bridge, replaced by a new bridge in 2018) at the north end of the Inner Harbour. After crossing the bridge, vehicles and cyclists can proceed through Victoria West and Esquimalt. Esquimalt is bounded on the north and east by the Gorge and Victoria Harbour, and the west by Esquimalt Harbour. There are bridges across the Gorge at Tillicum and Admiral’s Road, permitting an exit to the north east into Saanich. The Island Highway runs northwest in View Royal and Langford, and then turns and heads southwest to Colwood.

It’s a working draw bridge raised for maritime traffic between the Inner Harbour and the Upper Harbour. The new (2018) bridge has wide cycling lanes marked outside the vehicle lanes. With the completion of the bridge replacement, it is possible to:

cross the bridge in a bike lane and follow along Esquimault Road;

use the multipurpose span, cross Esquimalt Road on multioverpass, and follow Kimta Road to Catherine Street and get onto Esquimault Road;

following Harbour, Tyee and Bay back to Esquimault Road.

The cycling routes branch in Victoria West (the east end of the Esquimalt peninsula). There are two main cycling choices after the Johnson Street Bridge. One involves the Esquimault end of the E&N trail or other routes through Vic West and Esquimault to the West Shore area. The other is the Galloping Goose to the Swing Bridge. Then take either the Goose or the Lochside Trial. The Goose goes west out to the West Shore area. The Lochside Trail leads north into the Saanichstans.

Another cycling-friendly route from James Bay is coastal along Dallas Road and past Beacon Hill. Dallas continues until it runs into Hollywood Crescent and Crescent Drive, which also follow the coast . It runs into Beach Drive in Oak Bay. The traffic along Dallas is steady. There are intermittent micro-congestions behind tour buses and the ubiquitous horse drawn carriage rides. There are sections where cars park at an angle facing the Strait. The drivers have little vision and can back into oncoming traffic.

A third route starting in James Bay is to cross James Bay on Niagara and cross Beacon Hill Park, emerging on Cook Street and May. Following May to Moss, crossing Fairfield, turning on Thurlow and following Brooke to St. Charles avoids climbs of streets approaching the height where Government House sits. I use this a a route to Richmond at Richardson in Oak Bay. This leads to more forks and options. One is Foul Bay Road to Cadboro Bay Road and out to Cedar Hill X Road (University of Victoria). Another is to follow McNeill, cross onto Windsor and cross Oak Bay on Hampshire or Monterey/St. Ann and then proceed north on Musgrave to the Uplands area.

Other routes out of James Bay have more vehicle traffic. One is to go downtown as far as Fort Street and east and north on Fort Street. It has a bike lane. The bike lane had been redeveloped as a separated lane out past Cook Street as of 2017-18. Fort Street connects to Oak Bay Avenue which runs east out to Beach. Fort becomes Cadboro Bay Road.

Douglas Street and Blanshard Streets are heavily travelled. Douglas Street becomes a highway (the Trans-Canada) west to Colwood and Langford, over the Malahat and north up-island. It has a paved shoulder and bike lane, but the traffic on the entrance and exit ramps is significant. Blanshard Street runs up to Saanich and the BC Ferry terminal at Swartz Bay. It is a highway, called Highway 17 or the Pat Bay Highway. It has bike lanes, but significant traffic. Other streets go north: Quadra, Cook, Gorge Road, Cedar Hill, Richmond, Shelbourne. They have drawbacks including traffic, lack of bike lanes, limited visibility, curb lanes occupied by parked cars, elevation changes.

Fairfield traverses Oak Bay from downtown to Beach at Hollywood. Richardson and McNeill traverse Oak Bay from Cook east to the water, at the Oak Bay Marina.

Royal Oak Drive starts at Cordova Bay Road at the north end of Mount Douglas Park. The Lochside trail crosses it near Lochside School. (which showed up in one of the commercials for the London Olympics in 2012 – the ones narrated by Gordon Pinsent). Royal Oak goes west from Mount Douglas, past Broadmead Village (a shopping center with Canadian Tire, Thifty’s a) and across the Pat Bay Highway. It has bike lanes as far west as Highway 17, but loses them on the overpass. Traffic is heavy. It has some climbs and descents.

McKenzie has heavy traffic, no bike lanes worthy of the name, steep bits.

The is a traverse north of McKenzie called the San Juan Greenway. From the west, it starts at the Lochside Trail, at Don Mann excavators. First, a paved trail across farms to Blenkinsop. Then a paved trail along Mt. Douglas X Road to Glendenning. Then paved and residential streets to San Juan Avenue. San Juan is a wide residential street. It was connected with a paved trail through the park on Tyndall. There are stop signs, and a few climbs. There is a road crossing at Blenkinsop and a trail connecting to the Lochside just beside Don Mann Excavating. At the east end of San Juan, there are routes to get onto Gordon Head and cross McKenzie and enter the U Vic campus. Or to get to Arbutus. From the east, it is approached from Arbutus or from U Vic by way of Gordon Head. There some ways off of Gordon Head through the residential area. From the east, the stop signs are at Tyndall, Torquay, Majestic, Shelbourne , Cedar Hill.

In Saanich and Central Saanich, there are the roads named “cross road” – Keating, Stelly’s, Mount Newton. Also, near the airport McTavish Each has a degree of climb, traffic, minimal or no bike lanes and other concerns. Wallace crosses the Saanich Peninsula diagonally from Brentwood Bay to Saanichton. It is a bit better, but it has traffic and nominal bike lanes.

Past the airport, there is a route from Patricia Bay on the west to Sidney in the east. Mills Road starts (or ends) at West Saanich Road and runs along the north edge of the airport. It connects to Beacon Avenue, which crosses Highway 17 and connect to the Lochside Trail and other trails and roads in Sidney. There is a bike trail along Mills – part the airport trail called the Flight Path.

Gorge Road – alternatives

The Victoria Canoe & Kayak Club is on Gorge Road just past Tillicum. My best route is through downtown, over the Johnson Street Bridge, along the Galloping Goose to the park at the West Victoria Y, near the Selkirk Trestle. At that point it’s off the trail through the park to Craigflower and then on Selkirk, a side street that runs parallel to Craigflower, all the way to Tillicum. At that point a right turn onto Tillicum, across the bridge, a left turn onto Gorge Road and that’s it. 6.8 k one way, mainly off the main roads.

U Vic; Mount Douglas

The coastal route to UVic or Mount Douglas follows Dallas, Crescent and Beach. The pure coastal approach involves Dallas, Hollywood and Crescent and a climb up to King George Terrace. Or, along Crescent, a turn onto Foul Bay Road, and then onMcNeill or Oak Bay and east to Beach. One option is to go down to Beach near the Oak Bay Marina and turn on Beach. The coast approach goes past Cadboro Bay. Beach runs into Arbutus, which runs into Ferndale. Ferndale become Grandview, and Grandview become Ash, running to the edge of Mount Douglas Park where it runs into or becomes Cordova Bay Road.

A direct route to Mount Douglas is up Cook Street, until it branches onto Cedar Hill. Cedar Hill turns into Shelbourne near the Park. Shebourne turns into the Cordova Bay Road at the edge of the Park. Cook is heavily travelled by Victoria standards, but wide and generally 4 lanes. There are some sharp climbs on Cook and along Cedar Hill. The surface is good.

Shelburne Street is direct too. Generally, it is heavily travelled and not good for cyclists. It has bike lanes from Begbie out past Bay Street, but they do not continue along some narrower corridors in well travelled street. It is better to go to U Vic and cross from Gordon Head to Shelboure via Feltham.

The routes to Mount Douglas Park come out on Cordova Bay Road at the south east edge of the park and run along the base of Mount Douglas through some older Douglas firs. The road is heavily traveled, but it has a bike lane. At the north end of the park, Cedar Hill reaches an intersection. I can make a sharp left turn and head south up Blenkinsop and hook up with Cook. I make a soft left turn onto Royal Oak, or I can make a soft right and proceed on Cordova Bay.

There are a few ways to U Vic from Beach. One approach is turn on Lansdowne, Cadboro Bay Road and Cedar Hill X Road. There are routes through Oak Bay to U Vic. One is straight up Foul Bay Bay Road. A grind up hill, and traffic. Or Foul Bay and Cadboro Bay Road to Cedar Hill X Road. There are a more ways to U Vic off the coastal route: from Arbutus along Finnerty or Gordon Head.

I like to go through Oak Bay by Musgrave to the Uplands, continue by Midand and Upper Terrace, and cross Cadboro Bay Road at Cedar Hill X Road.

West Saanich – the Lakes

On the west side of the Pat Bay, and north of Royal Oak, there are options including turning onto Elk Lake Drive and into Beaver Lake/Elk Lake Park. There is access from Beaver Lake oad at the south end to a trail around the lakes. The trail on the west side of the lakes is open for cycling. It is an old rail grade (I have not figured out which one. It is about 4 k. of trail north to Brookleigh Road, which lead to other options, One is to turn east on Brookleigh out to the Pat Bay, ride the paved shoulder until the north end of Elk Lake Drive or Royal Oak.

Another main option out past the Pat Bay is West Saanich Road which intersects Wallace at Brentwood Bay and crosses the more pastoral parts of the peninsula. Wallace is part of the Interurban Rail Route.

The routes back are by Blenkinsop or Cedar Hill to Cook. Another direct return is Royal Oak to the Lochside School, and then back south by the trail.

Regional Trails & Routes

These are marked routes for cycling, suitable for touring and road bikes. A few have sections closed to motor vehicles but shared with roller-bladers, skate-boarders, pedestrians, motorized scooters, wheelchairs, mobility aids, children, horses and dogs. Three – Galloping Goose, Lochside, E & N – start at the Johnson Street Bridge, once known as the Blue Bridge, which crosses the narrows between Victoria and Victoria West and Equimault

The Galloping Goose Rail trail follows Harbour Road, and becomes a paved trail at Tyee, at Regional District bike barometer counter. It runs on the Vic West/Esquimalt shore to the Selkirk trestle, then in a cut west of Douglas Street, and behind the commercial properties along Douglas as as far as Mayfair. It crosses Douglas via the Swing bridge, a repurposed structure. At the northeast end of the Swing Bridge, it forks into the Lochside and Galloping Goose trails.

The Galloping Goose follows Douglas out to the Old Island Highway.

The road crossings at Tillicum and Burnside near Helmken require stops. There is a bridge for cyclists and pedestrians over McKenzie (as of April 2018). The trail west and north of the Old Island Highway is signed and may show on maps as either or both the Galloping Goose and part of the E&N. The Goose is paved as far as Wale Road. There are two crossings of Atkins Road. One connects to the E&N Trail, in Langford; there is a also a paved connector near Wale Road. The Galloping Goose swerves away from Douglas Street and follows the Old Island Highway west. This takes it into the Highlands north of View Royal and in the central-northern part of Langford. It is paved, but far from the highways and fairly quiet. There are some patches of housing development and side roads. Some of the road crossings are at the bottom of hills, so it’s tempting to blast across to get a run up the other side.

There is a tangled bit where the trail crosses Wale and the Old Island Highway. Basically, it is necessary to follow Wale to the Old Island Highway and cross at the light. The old maps suggest there was trail on the opposite side of Wale Road, but it has been blocked by development. After 2012, it became necessary to cross Wale Road, and use a bike lane or getting by the Co-op Gas and a mall, then crossing Old Island Highway. The Galloping Goose trail picks up and goes past Fort Rodd Hill and Royal Roads. There is another crossing of the Old Highway in front of Royal Roads – and a water station. For rides to more distant locations (e.g. out to Matheson Lake or the Sooke Basin or beyond) parking at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Center, or in lot opposite Royal Roads on the Old Island Highway are options.

It continues past Royal Roads and across the Old Island Highway through the West Shore communities and then west towards the Sooke Basin. The Goose is gravel west of the Old Island Highway. Crossing Veteran’s Memorial in the big box distict is an event, as is crossing Sooke Road near the firehall at Sooke Road end of Happy Valley Road. There are other crossings of streets near the big box stores that require a dismount and a crossing signal e.g. Jacklin Road. It crosses several roads in the West Shore communities, requiring slowing down or stopping and crossing with traffic signals. After two crossings of Happy Valley Road it has long stretches without road crossings.

There are water stations:

at the Swing Bridge;

in the combined Goose E&N section

at Royal Roads at the Old Island Highway

at the Luxton Fairground

The E&N Trail follows the line of the Esquimault & Nanaimo Railway. The tracks are still in place, except the track along the bridge.

It has four sections, as of summer 2019:

Johnson Street Bridge in Vic West, though Esquimault and View Royal to the Old Island Highway (E&N EVR) was developed 2016-19. It is paved;

Rededicated Galloping Goose pavement from the Old Island Highway to the intersection of Atkins Avenue (the second intersection – the west one;

a new paved trail along Atkins Avenue for a few hundred meters – almost to where the tracks cross Atkins; and Atkins Avenue west to Veteran’s Memorial Parkway in Langford

a section along the tracks in Langford (E&N Langford)

The E&N EVR section runs along city streets to the intersection of Equimault Road with Russell Street. It starts to follow the rail line where the tracks cross Esquimault near Russell Street. The CRD and the City laid out the bike lanes in an S curve to cross the tracks at right angles before turning into the trail. The first bit of trail after leaving Equimault Road is squeezed between a business property and the track. This can be avoided by turning down Russell and taking Wilson and getting on the trail where it crosses Wilson. There are road crossings parallel to level rail crossings. The traffic on some of them may be light but Lampson is heavily travelled. Counterweights or the control boxes for the crossing arms jut out into the trail at most crossing. The crossing of Admirals Road/Colville and the main entrance of the naval base involve two roads, tracks and the base. The traffic pattern is unique; roads intersect at angles; the tracks are at different angles and cyclists have to cross pedestrian sidewalks and make a few tight turns.

The paved trail follows the tracks into the Songhees land at Maplebank Road. At Maplebank, the trail separates from the tracks, and beside Admirals Road from near Thomas Road to Hallowell (the Admirals Walk mall). The trail is the better option than Admirals Road although Admirals Road was improved in 2018. Admirals Road is wide from the base to the Songhees land. There is a bike lane on the climb to the edge of Esquimault at Caroline Street, close to the ege of the Songhees land. As of summer 2019, the bike lanes are continuous to/from the intersection of Hallowell – with a traffic light – and a left turn at Hallowell (Admirals Walk mall – the Thrifty’s store) to get back to the trail, or ride along the shoulder approaching Craigflower and the bridge over the end of the Gorge.

At this point, the rider is in View Royal, a suburban municipality. The trail from Hallowell to the Old Island Highway and Douglas is nice. The trail follows the rail line and is elevated over a couple of busier streets. It crosses the Old Island Highway where the Old Island Highway crosses under Highway One. It joins the Galloping Goose Trail south of Highway One. On some maps the E&N trail is shown as continuing into Langford, by way of Atkins Road. Atkins is an asphalt road, parallel to the rail corridor, with some housing. It has a bit of bike lane in urban Langford but is mainly narrow, without shoulders. It intersects the Goose twice. It climbs into the Highlands. There is a short trail parallel to Atkins, since late 2016.

There is a section of trail along the tracks from Savory School (on Atkins) to Jacklin Road. The tracks and trail are parallel to Atkins and Station Road. This section has road crossings – and they involve crossing Millstream Road (Veteran’s Memorial Parkway) and Peatt Road (and then getting back on the trail through posts and gates. This section is not very useful, but has the advantage of being separated from traffic. It is efficient to stay on the road, cross urban Langford and take Jacklin to Jenkins and get in narrow bike lane and follow Jenkins and Glen Lake to Sooke Road and go onto the Goose or Happy Valley Road.

Langford has some bike lanes where they could be squeezed in on paved shoulders along some roads. The cycling infrastructure is better than in Metchosin or Colwood (where the standard is no shoulders and lots of entitled drivers who crowd riders).

The Lochside Regional Trail begins at the swing bridge as a fork of the Galloping Goose. It runs diagonally north and east toward Mount Douglas. The Lochside trail is mainly paved out past McKenzie Avenue, then continues as a mix of gravel trails, asphalt streets and gravel roads out pretty well to Swartz Bay. After Island View, it is a combination of Lochside Drive, a trail along Highway 17, and some streets through Sidney. The trail is mainly gravel from Royal Oak to McKenzie and Quadra with wooden bridges over bogs along Blenkinsop Lake and Swan Lake. The gravel is good – depending on traffic and grade. There is some loose gravel and dirt on a working farm south of Island View. Past Island View, there is a section of chip sealed tarmac, and an asphalt trail along Highway 17 past the Tsawout First Nation lands to Mount Newton Cross Road. Lochside Road resumes there and continues north to Sidney. There is a bit that requires caution to cross vehicle lanes to to stay on the trail beside the roundabout beside Highway 17 at McTavish.

There are water stations:

beside the Don Mann Excavating’s yard (north of McKenzie),

McMinn Park (north of Royal Oak),

near the Mount Newton Cross Road,

Tulista Park (Sidney)

There is loop through Hunt Valley. Hunt Road is parallel to the trail. There is access off the trail at Sayward north of Lochside Park and the golf course or Dooley following Hunt Road, to Martindale, coming back to the trail near Michell’s Farm at Island View. The Hunt Valley part is pebbled asphalt (some sections affected by “chip sealing” as of summer 2019) with some climbs, but some nice downhills and lovely views.

The “Interurban Rail Trail” is identied on signs and some maps – for instance this map on John Luton’s Cycling Vancouver Island site. The BC Electric Railway had an Interurban route from Victoria to Deep Cove 1913-1924. The trail follows parts of the abandoned rail line. The parts of this trail:

a bike lane on the Interurban Road south of West Saanich Road;

a gravel single lane road and trail parallel to West Saanich Road;

Wallace Drive, to Brentwood Bay;

Wallace from Brentwood Bay to Saanichton,

Wallace to the Lochside Trail a few km. north of Mount Newton X-Road.

There is access to Interurban Road from the Galloping Goose, just past Tillicum (5 Km out from the Blue Bridge) and down to Interurban. The section along Interurban has a consistent bike lane, pinching out at a couple of places. It mainly climbs to West Saanich, but gently.

The gravel road starts just before West Saanich Road. It is level, low traffic. For much of the ways it is a gravel service road for residence west of West Saanich, although there are several driveway access point onto West Saanich. The other option is paved but has heavy traffic and a few steepish bits – West Saanich Road past the observatory road the Mount Work turn off, and Prospect Lake Road, to the intersection with Wallace on the Tod Creek flats. Entry to West Saanich Road is at an intersection with traffic lights. There is bike lane or paved shoulder of West Saanich. There is a left turn at bottom of a hill, at the uncontrolled intersection of Wallace.

Wallace is mainly old pebbled asphalt. The first section from West Saanich Road into Brentwood Bay is narrow, without even a paved shoulder. The asphalt has been patched, but some of the patches are breaking down. It is a bit wider and has a bike lane most of the way from Brentwood Bay into Saanichton. Wallace runs into Mount Newton x-Road in Saanichton. Then a few hundred meters to East Saanich, in Saanichton is offset. There is a left turn onto East Saanich and right turn off back onto the next section of Wallace a block later. At this point, the road is lightly travelled. It follows a ridge through an agricultural area into a cluster of houses. Wallace runs into Amity which drops toward the Pat Bay. Amity does not cross the Pat Bay. There is a short block of Amity east of the Pat Bay. the Lochside is less than 100 m. way. There is a footbridge over the Pat Bay. .

Long Routes

A ride to Sidney and back from James Bay is about a 65 k ride on the Lochside trail. I can turn it into a century by going to Oak Bay and out to Mt. Douglas first, then crossing to West Saanich Road and meandering across rural Saanich around the airport, or out around Deep Cove or Swartz Bay before riding to Sidney.

On July 15, 2007 I started with the outbound part of the Mt Douglas ride. Second leg: Brentwood Bay by Royal Oak & W. Saanich Rd. Third leg: Sidney by Stelly’s X, E. Saanich Rd., Mount Newton X, Lochside. Break: at 47 k., Serious Coffee in Sidney. Fourth leg: Brentwood Bay by Lochside, Mt Newton X, E. Saanich Rd, Wallace. Fifth leg: east again by Keating X to Oldfield, south to Brookleigh (N. end of Elk and Beaver Lake) east to the Pat Bay Highway, south on the shoulder. Sixth leg: Royal Oak to W. Saanich, Markham and the Camosun campus to the Interurban, south to Burnside. Then I had a short stretch on the Goose, out Cloverdale to Cook, down to Dallas. 90k. Finish: Loops around Beacon Hill and James Bay.

On August 6, 2007, I tried a route that started with the outbound part of the typical Mt. Douglas ride. Second leg: Royal Oak to W. Saanich Road, and out to Brentwood Bay. Third leg: Wallace to Saanichton, E. Saanich Rd to Willingdon, around the airport. Mills, Beacon, to Sidney. Break at 50 k at Serious Coffee in Sidney. Fourth leg – South: Lochside along Bazan Bay to Mt Newton X. Central Saanich, (Keating X) and Oldfield to Brookleigh. Pat Bay Hy. (shoulder) to Royal Oak, W. Saanich to Markham, Camosun, Interurban, W. Burnside, down to Douglas. Fifth leg – south and east: Galloping Goose to the Gorge. Gorge Road, Hillside, Lansdown to Foul Bay Rd. Finish: waterfront to Cook, up to Cook Street Village, loop on Oxford and Moss back to Dallas, past Ogden Point. Montreal, Niagara and Boyd.

Another option of getting a century would be Mount Douglas, Royal Oak, and then West Saanich all the way to Deep Cove, around Swartz Bay, and then back into Sidney, etc.Other options for long rides can be taken from the Tour de Victoria 2012 Map.

Resources

The Victoria & Gulf Island Cycling and Walking Map, developed by the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition and Davenport Maps is in a 5th edition (2013 ?). It has a QR code that opens updates if you have a device and a connection. It is sold at MEC, some cycling stores and some book stores. It show places where there are trails and paths where the pavement end to make connections. It also shows climbs and descents with chevrons. It shows bike stores and rentals.

John Luton’s Cycle Vancouver Island site is aimed at touring visitors.John Crouch’s Bike Victoria, in the 2006 edition or the 2012 revised edition, is useful. (The revision adds some mountain bike routes, but mainly adjusts the ride notes). John Crouch’s web page has a list of stores where it is available. Here is my list and concordance. (Distances are from Crouch’s suggested start points).